Electrical connector



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Jmm 5 27,, E959 H. H. EURTT ELECTRICAL coNNEcToR 2 Sheets Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 11, 19415 f n NHL s .llqlllllll Fllkl'll R M g /)INVENTOR. Haraf/a hf Bur/r wwm Q R BY Z 5 Qua/M307 ATTORNEYS Patented June 27, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Horatio H. Burtt, Hartsdale, N. Y. Application August 11, 1945, Serial No. 610,314

1 Claim.

This invention relates to electrical connectors and more particularly to such connectors as may be used in aircraft, wherein means must be provided within the connector itself to prevent leakage of fluid from one side of the panel board or bulkhead on which the connector is adapted to be connected, to the other side thereof in order that the aircraft cabin may be maintained at the desired or sea level pressure at high altitudes.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector adapted to be mounted on a panel board or aircraft bulkhead such that one of the connecting members is retained on the panel board or bulkhead, while the other connecting member is separable from the one connecting member, wherein the one connecting member mounted on the panel board is sealed Within itself to prevent the leakage flow oi? fluid through the connector from one side of the panel or bulkhead to the other side thereof.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a connector which is simple in con-- struction and has a minimum of parts.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a connector in which the connecting parts are so formed at their coupling faces as to provide shielding material about the contact ele ments whereby to increase the path of the arc should an are be created and tend to flow between connecting elements of different potentials or toward the external sleeve or main supporting member with which the connector is attached to the panel.

According to the invention, the connector comprises two insulating connecting members, which are supported within a main sleeve or supporting member adapted to be attached to a panel Wall or bulkhead. One of the connecting memhers is adapted to be permanently contained in the main sleeve while the other member is separable therefrom and is fixed in an inner sleeve adapted to be fitted within the main sleeve when this other connecting member is connected to the first connecting member on the panel board. The'inner sleeve having the second member rigidly connected thereto is shouldered so as to be locked to the main sleeve by an internally threaded locking ring or nut. On disconnecting the locking ring, the second member can be disconnected from the first member and the first member left on the panel board. The connecting members at their connecting faces have interfitting annular portions to increase the arcing path between adjacent contact elements and the contact elements and the sleeves.

The one connecting member carried in the main sleeve or supporting member has an annular recess or groove into which is disposed an over-size compressible or resilient sealing ring and as the connecting member is secured to the main sleeve the sealing ring is compressed within the annular recess to make a tight sealing connection between the connecting member and the sleeve to thereby prevent leakage of fluid through the connector. The ring in its free state is of arched section and its radial thickness is sufiiciently greater than the space between the .bottom of the groove and the inner wall or bore of the sleeve so that it exerts when compressed con siderable force against these two surface. Also in order to prevent leakage through the con-- necting member and about the contact element there is provided a packing at the point of con-- nection of the contact element to the connect-- ing member.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in con- .nection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. .1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view, in elevation, taken along the line l--l of Fig. 2.;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the connector showing the flanged portion by which the connector is attached to the panel board;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary View, partly in section, of the compressible sealing ring, removed from the connector and in its free state;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view, in elevation, similar to Fig. 1 but .of a modified form of the invention wherein there is provided a plurality of contact elements within each of the connecting members, the several contact ele ments being adequately spaced from one another and shielded to prevent arcing thereb'etween, the section being taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 5.;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary end View of the form of the invention shown in Fig. 4.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 and v2 there is shown a panel board or bulkhead i9 such as would be provided in an aircraft to provide a cabin wall on one side of which there is air of increased pressure tending to pass to the opposite or outer side thereof. Into this panel board is mounted a main sleeve or supporting member I! containing a connecting member it of insulating material. In this connecting member I 2 is a male contact element l3. The main sleeve H has a squared flange portion M with openings I 5 in the corners thereof through which bolt or other fastening means is 'passed "for connecting the main sleeve l i and its connecting member I2 to the panel board ID. The main sleeve II also has a threaded portion I6 extending outwardly from one side of the panel board and adapted to contain therein a sleeve I1 encircling a second insulating connecting member I8 having a female contact element I9, adapted when the two connecting members I2 and I8 are coupled together to make contact connection with the male plug I3 of the connecting member I2. The portion I6 is externally threaded to receive a threaded locking ring or nut 2| for locking a shoulder portion 22 of the inner sleeve I1 to the end face of the main sleeve portion I6, whereby to removably lock the sleeves I I and I1 and their respective associated connecting members I2 and I8 together.

The sleeve I1 about the connecting member I8 has a threaded extension 23 to which is connected a third sleeve 24, adapted to surround the connecting member I8 "rearwardly of the inner sleeve I1. The connecting member I6 is secured to the sleeve I1 by a split locking ring 25, adapted to fit within a recess in the sleeve extension 23 and bear against an annular face 26 of the connecting member I8. A forward annular face 21 of the connecting member I8 is thereupon retained against an internal shoulder 28 of the inner sleeve I1.

Within the first connecting member I2 is an annular recess or groove 29. As this connecting member I2 is assembled into the sleeve II so that an annular face 3| thereof abuts a shoulder 32 of the sleeve II, a compressible sealing ring 33 is disposed within the annular recess 29. This sealing ring 33 in its free state bears the arcuate shape section shown in Fig. 3. In this state it has a convex outer periphery 34 and a concave inner periphery 35. When the connecting member I2 is fully fitted within the main sleeve II and secured by a split locking ring 35a, the

ring 33 will bear the shape substantially as shown in Fig. 1 so as to provide thereby good sealing contact with all of the walls of the recess and with the inner peripheral surface or bore of the main sleeve II. Thus any leakage tending to pass from one side of the panel to the other along the inner wall surface of the main sleeve II' is forestalled.

The connecting member I2 has a central recess 36 at its side adapted to receive a portion of the other connecting member I8 in which is centrally disposed and spaced from the wall thereof a head portion 31 of the contact element I3. Opposite to this annular recess 36 and spaced by a wall partition 38 is a recess 39 into which a cable wire is disposed for connection with a connecting sleeve portion M of the plugor contact element I3.

Within the wall partition 38 is a recess adapted to contain a compressible sealing ring 43, retained in the recess 38 by a shoulder portion 44 on the contact element I3. A nut 45 within the recess 36 fits over a threaded portion 46 of the contact element I3 and when tightened draws the contact element I3 through the partition wall 38 and compresses the ring 43 within the recess in wall 38 to thereby provide a seal against any fluid leakage tending to pass from one side of the partition wall 38 to the other and from one side of the panel wall to the other along the contact element I3.

Concentric with the recess 36 of the connecting member I2 is an annular recess 41, adapted to contain an annular projection 48 of the connecting member I8. On the connecting member I8 and adapted to fit within the recess 36 of the connecting member I2, is a central annular projection 49 containing the female contact element I9 and secured against axial displacement therein by a nut 5I engaging with the annular face of this projection 49. As the connecting members I2 and I8 are assembled together the recess 36 of the connecting member I2 receives the annular projection 49 containing the female contact element I9 and the annular recess 41 receives the annular projection 46 of the connecting member I8 spaced from the projection 49 thereof. The projections 48 and 49 thus respectively fit within the recesses 36 and 41 of the connecting member I'2 so as to provide a long circuitous air passage 52 therebetween whereby to require the are created by the contact elements to pass a long distance in passing toward the main sleeve I I and thus caused to be extinguished or quenched before reaching the sleeve.

Figs. 4 and 5 show a modified form of connector wherein there is provided in each of the connecting members the same centrally disposed contact element but in addition there is provided a plurality of contact elements arranged in two circles concentric with the central contact element and the respective contact elements of one circle alternately disposed between the contact elements of the other circle. The contact elements of the one circle are indicated at El and the contact elements of the other circle are indicated at 62. Between the two circles is provided a shielding portion 63a to prevent arcing between the two circles of contact elements. The usual sealing ring 33 as above described in connection with the other figures is used to seal a connecting member 63 to a main sleeve 64. Also a sealing ring 66 similar to the ring 43 described in connection with the above Figs. 1 and 2 is used for preventing leakage along the central contact element 61. A contact element 6I or 62 is sealed by means of a sealing ring 68 adapted to bear against the bottom of a recess 69 in the connecting member 63 and be tightened there again by a shoulder portion 1I of the contact elements 6|, 62 as the contact elements 6|, 62 are tightened in the connecting member 63 by their nuts 12. The engaging face portions of the connecting members are similarly formed so as to increase the arcing passage between the contact elements and between the contact elements and surrounding sleeves.

The connecting member 63 contains a central recess 13 formed partly within the main body portion of the connecting element 63 and partly in an annular projection 14 extending forwardly of a main forward face 15 of the connecting element 63. The recess 13 normally contains the male contacting element 61 and when the two connecting members are together contains an annular portion 16 surrounding a female contact element 11 of th connecting element 18. The contacting portions of the male connecting elements GI, 62 are contained within smaller recesses 19 adapted to receive annular projections -8I of the connecting element 13 and surrounding the female contact element 82 thereof. The two connecting members 63 and 18 with their enclosing sleeves are supported on a panel or bulkhead 83 surrounding main sleeve 64. The inner sleeve 64 of the connecting element"; is secured to the sleeve '64 by a threaded locking ring or nut 85. a

It should now be apparent that there has been provided electrical connectors in which adequate means are provided for preventing leakage of fluid through the connector itself 'and in which adequate precautions are taken to prevent the establishment of an are between adjacent contacts or between the contacts and the external sleeves containing the connecting members.

I have described what I believe to b the best embodiments of my invention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiments shown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

In an electrical connector, the combination comprising a main supporting member adapted to be mounted on a bulkhead, pairs of cooperating electrical contact elements, a pair of insulating members in said supporting member encircling said pairs of contact elements, sealing means about one of the contact elements of each pair to provide peripheral sealing engagement with one of the insulating members, each of said insulating members being of one piece, said insulating member having respectively integral interfitting telescoping parts defining therebetween a long circuitous arc passage leading from said contact elements towards said supporting member, means for retaining said insulating members in coupled telescoping relationship with one another, the one of said insulating members which has the sealed contact elements having an annular groove therein, a sealing ring in said groove to seal the annular juncture between the insulating member and said supporting member, said sealing means for the respective contacts and the sealing ring between the insulating member and the supporting member forming in said supporting member a sealing barrier by which fluid leakage through the bulkhead is prevented, one of said pairs of contact elements being disposed axially of said insulating members, the other of said pairs of contact elements being arranged in annular radially spaced rows concentric with the axially disposed pair of contact elements, the number of pairs of contact elements of one row being equal to the number of pairs of contact elements in the other row and respective contact elements of one row being staggered with respect to the respective contact elements of the other row, the contact elements of each insulating member projecting outwardly from the outer end thereof, an interwoven outer end wall portion on each of said insulating members extending between the respective contact elements of the annular rows and the respective contact elements of the same row, whereby to separate and shield the contact elements :of the rows from each other.

HORATIO H. BURTT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 740,640 Gilbert Oct. 6, 1903 1,997,081 Reynolds Apr. 9, 1935 2,124,182 Braun July 19, 1938 2,208,620 Baisch July 23, 1940 2,214,587 Kraut Sept. 10, 1940 2,264,803 Jacobs Dec. 2, 1941 2,265,341 Borchert Dec. 9, 1941 2,284,945 Chandler June 2, 1942 2,286,952 Cannon et a1 June 16, 1942 2,291,070 Bruno July 28, 1942 2,368,923 Hampton Feb. 6, 1945 2,383,926 White Aug. 28, 1945 2,384,267 Andersen Sept. 4, 1945 2,409,004 Wall Oct. 8, 1946 2,411,861 Anthony, Jr. et al. Dec. 3, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 558,103 Great Britain Dec. 21, 1943 362,385 Great Britain Dec. 2, 1931 

